Max
by josh-baker
Summary: A storm is brewing in Republic City. There are whispers of an underground organization known as the Equalists gaining power. Max, a non-bender raised on the streets, takes it upon himself to investigate and becomes deeply entangled in a sinister plot.
**A/N: Hey everyone, I thought I'd try something new here. This story is set in the Avatar Legend of Korra universe and takes place in the time leading up to and during season one of the show. However, the main character is one of my own creation and while I plan on having some characters from the show be involved, they will not be the primary focus. I apologize if this isn't what you want, but I hope you can find some enjoyment in it anyway.**

 **This is an idea that's been in my head for a while and wanted to finally put it down on paper I don't know when I'll pump out chapter one and I don't know how long the story will eventually end up being. I'm really just going with the flow on this one and seeing where it takes me. I hope you guys enjoy.**

The name's Max. I don't have a last name, probably never will. The only reason I have a name at all is because I gave one to myself. My parents never found it in their hearts to give me one, and the orphanage that they so lovingly deposited me at gave me a name I refused to accept. I dropped it the second I ran away. Honestly, I don't need a last name. It's all about your family line right? I don't have a family and therefore I find it rather fitting that I don't have a last name. Everything I am, everything I ever will be, can be summed up in the use of one name: Max. It stands alone, not rewarded or punished by the surname that would follow it, and I like that.

The streets of Republic City are a hard place to grow up. The Triple Threat Triad aren't the friendliest group in the world, and the rats in the back alleys aren't the best sleeping companions. You throw an eight year-old kid out there and he'll either be eaten alive or come out with far too many scares. Well, I wasn't eaten alive. This isn't a sob story, I'm not going to wine about my life to you because honestly you don't want to hear it and I don't care to share it. It was rough, there were some dark times, but I came out stronger.

You see I, like many others, can't bend any of the elements. Trust me, I wish I could because it would have come in very handy in a few situations, but I can't. So I learned to defend myself with the resources at my disposal. Bending is an advantage, but it is one that can be overcome. Speed, agility, a sharp eye, quick thinking, and some nicely placed blows can turn the tide. I got pretty good at fighting over the years. It was a skill formed from adversity and necessity not out of talent. I'm nothing special, but I was put in a situation where I either rose to the challenge or died in the ditch. When those are your only two options, motivation is not a problem.

So here's the deal, I got out. I started doing some work for the police department, stuff that they don't want to get their hands dirty with. It's not glamourous stuff, normally tracking down drug dealers and the like, but it pays the bills. The cops like having a guy who knows his way around the darker side of Republic City, and I fit the bill. The thing about working with the cops is that you don't make a lot of friends with the underground community. I'm not the most popular man in my hometown to say the least.

Also, I head up a self-defense course for non-benders. We work out of an old warehouse down by the docks. The people that show up are just trying to get by in a world that inherently has put them at a disadvantage. I try to help, give them _something_ that will help them even the odds. I can't teach them how to shoot fire out of their fists, but I can teach them how to dodge the blast. The world's a cruel and unfair place, but you can either give up or fight harder. I prefer the latter.

So yeah, that's where I was. Eighteen years old, a job, a place of my own, a dojo of sorts, and my entire life in front of me. For the first time it looked like I might have a shot at a normal life. Fate had different plans. I didn't expect the Equalist Revolution, I didn't expect the war that I would be thrown into, and I certainly didn't expect to meet her.

But hey, a normal life sounds so boring.


End file.
